Brief encounter
by Marjorie Nescio
Summary: The zombie virus hits humanity and Penny and her friends try to make it to a safe haven. When they run into Sophia they promise her to find her mother. - Author's note on 6 June: you might think I quitted this story but I haven't. Once I've finished a Princess Diaries fic, I will pick up Brief Encounter.
1. Out of the blue

Introduction

Hello dear readers,

It is my guess that some of you never heard of The Walking Dead while others wonder what The Big Bang Theory is about. TWD is about a group of people surviving in a zombie invaded world. TBBT centres around a waitress/actress named Penny and her four nerdy friends.

Sophia is a girl from TWD. She got lost in season 2 and in my story TBBT and TWD meet through her. But who will meet who? For TWD side of the crossover it is clear that Rick's group and Hershel's people must be involved. But what about the characters from TBBT? I thought of including Bernadette and Amy (who would make valuable contributions to the survival of the Pasadena gang), but I decided to use the five central characters only. My story is pre-Bernadette/pre-Amy with a twist: Penny and Leonard used to date and not long before the zombies started to walk the planet Leonard got wooed by Leslie Winkle. Penny and her men are on their way from California to Arkansas and I'm the first to say that it is illogical that they should meet Sophia who just left Atlanta but those things can happen in a story.

_Brief encounter_ is told from Penny's point of view. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Brief encounter

Chapter 1 - Out of the blue

Penny was driving and Sheldon sat on the back of the Vespa, taking a nap. A few months ago, before _it_ had started, she would have believed it impossible for him to sit this close to another human being. Something told her that Sheldon had learned that bodily contact was oddly reassuring. He would never admit that just as he wouldn't admit that _she_ was in fact leading their gang. Some things just wonˈt change and given the circumstances having Sheldon around was a blessing if only for that reason.

Penny kept an eye on the road ahead but she didnˈt neglect to check her mirrors even though it was just the five of them riding through the forest. Howard had reduced the sound of the engines so brilliantly that the wind murmuring in the trees deafened their passing by. Silence was a life saver.

Via her left mirror she cast a glance at Howard. When it had all been fun talk – well, for her at least- she had pictured spending 24/7 with Wolowitz. It had made her shiver. Since the day of their escape Howard hadnˈt made a single annoying remark though.

As a rule they drove day and night, taking small breaks in between. The digital clock on Pennyˈs dashboard read 10:59 and that meant it was about time for the Nag moment. It took several minutes before they could stop at a spot that Penny judged to be safe.

A few days after their escape, when Sheldon had lamented their future lack of toilet paper, Penny recalled the hiking trips sheˈd made with her uncle Eric. Sheˈd been eight years old and her uncle must have gotten fed up with her ´My feet hurt. My backpackˈs too heavy. Iˈm tired.´ Understanding that people need to voice their complaints, heˈd told her that she could nag once a day, at three in the afternoon, and no more. It worked like a charm. If she got stuck by a bug, sheˈd know that she could complain about the itch later on. And of course at three oˈclock she wouldnˈt even recall she was bitten.

Her present troubles werenˈt easy to forget and nor were those of her companions. Most of the time they didnˈt share their deepest worries for they all had more or less the same story to tell. The N moment was valuable though if only because Sheldon thrived on regularity.

They ate some raisins and stretched their legs.

´I will start,´ said Sheldon. ´I _hate_ not having a bathroom. And my bowel has still not come to terms with life as a traveller.´

´I wish I could contact my family,´ Raj softly said. He had learned to talk in Pennyˈs presence without the aid of alcohol. Penny wondered whether that was because most of the time they faced their surroundings and not each other or because she smelled less feminine these days.

´And I see some dandelion plants over there,´ Raj added, ´and I just wish we had a nice honey-mustard dressing to go with it.´

´Me too!´ Sheldon said with a sigh.

After a momentˈs silence Leonard spoke: ´I wanna sleep in a real bed for like a day. Just a nice bed, thatˈs all I need. And I want to dream nice dreams, without baby monsters in it.´

´I hate this world,´ Howard said.

It was all he remarked, as usual. Penny was worried sick for him but all she said was: ´I feel dirty wearing these clothes day after day. Itˈs disgusting.´

´Oh great,´ Sheldon said, ´Look at the sky. Itˈs going to rain again.´

A few minutes after theyˈd driven on, Sheldon –who had fallen asleep again- proved right. It was just a drizzle and it didnˈt last long but Penny was grateful for her waterproof outfit. Raj and Leonard had done a great job as their provision officers. Back then, when theyˈd made a list of things to buy, it had just been a nerd thing to Penny. Something like wanting to buy a replica of Anduril.

OoOoO

_´You_ˈ_re our best shooter Penny. I_ˈ_ve assigned you for a course to learn how to handle various weapons,´ Sheldon told her._

_When she started laughing he handed her a print-out with her training schedule for the weekend. Raj, Howard and Leonard nodded in support of Sheldon_ˈ_s plan. _

_´We__ˈ__ve been talking about this for _days_ now Penny. You made me believe that you were paying attention, but I guess you were thinking of cheesecake instead. Now, t__he articles in The Times of India leave no doubt. Perhaps the merry reaction of Dr and Mrs Koothrappali to Raj_ˈ_s warning gave you the wrong impression, but this is for real! We need to speed up our preparations. For your information: we will travel on Vespa_ˈ_s. At first I wanted to buy a van, but these gentlemen convinced me that it would be a death trap. A Vespa will be the better choice, especially since Wolowitz managed to make it run so economically that it would reduce an oil baron to tears. Here__ˈ__s the driving schedule.´_

_´Thank you Sheldon,´ Penny said meekly as she took over the notebook Sheldon handed her. Faking surprise she remarked that Sheldon was not driving._

_´Iˈm not the only one who isnˈt,´ Sheldon defended himself._

_´My mother will need all her concentration just to remain seated,´ Howard commented with a shrug._

_´Sheldon won_ˈ_t,´ Penny said in an undertone. Raj, Leonard and Howard glanced at each other. Sheldon swallowed nervously._

_´We only have four drivers now Sheldon. You need to drive too if we have to make it all the way to my parental home._

_´I am glad you actually heard _some_ of what we said. I hope you informed your relatives that we will be staying with them?´_

_Penny had no intention of doing such an idiotic thing but she looked at Sheldon as if she was offended by his lack of trust._

_´You. Need. To. Drive. Sheldon.´_

_Sheldon objected. He asked them to picture the danger he would inflict on them in case he would drive them out of town in the midst of an exodus._

_´You won_ˈ_t have to drive _then_,´ Penny offered with a sweet smile. ´But you _will_ drive. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!´_

_´Or one,´ Sheldon added. He bowed his head in defeat.´You are right Penny.´ _

_The others looked at her admiringly. Who would have thought, Penny said to herself, that __they_ _were_ _a bunch of actors? Just to see how they would talk themselves out of it she inquired who would be Sheldon_ˈs _driving instructor. They compared their schedules and at last Raj was appointed for the part. _

_On Saturday at seven in the morning Penny showed up at the shooting-range expecting her friends to welcome her with laughter. They werenˈt there. For several hours she forgot about being fooled around for she liked to shoot and fight. Her teacher, a former marine, told her she was a natural. A couple of bruises into the day the compliment lost some of its glory. The guys supposedly had their own project Z tasks but what else would they be doing but ga__ming in 4A? They would make fun of her on her return. She pictured Sheldon__ˈ__s freaky smile and Leonard__ˈ__s teasing eyes. Raj would giggle and Howard would be making remarks about blondes _not_ having more fun. __Feeling muscles she didn__ˈ__t even know she had, s__he came up with a plan to trick the tricksters._

OoOoO

If only we would be actors in a doomsday play, Penny mused. The director would shout ´Cut!´ and the creeps would stop moaning and have their make-up removed.

A high pitched scream reminded Penny that she could not afford to wander off.

Sheldon woke up instantly.

´Danger!´ he whispered, more to himself than to Penny. Seeing something move ahead of her, Penny stopped. The other drivers followed her lead. Raj smoothly turned around to cover their back.

There was another scream. Penny readied her hand bow. A girl stumbled from underneath a bush, followed closely by a one-armed zombie. The creature stepped on the hem of her dress and in her fall she reached for the girlˈs ankle. Penny fired an arrow between the zombieˈs eyes.

Sheldon exhaled.

Penny rode toward the child.

´Hold Llamrei Sheldon,´ she instructed. Sheldon had insisted that the scooters would be named and though for formˈs sake they had opposed him, they all used the names nowadays. Penny dismounted and softly addressed the girl: ´Hi. Iˈm Penny. Who are you?´

´Iˈm So- Sophia.´

´Are you all alone?´

Eyes still wide with fear, the girl nodded.

´Weˈll take you with us. Thatˈs Howard,´ Penny said as she gestured toward him. ´Go and sit behind him.´

The girl just stared at her. Penny turned her back to her and pulled the arrow out of the zombieˈs skull.

´Now sweety!´ she said.

The girl hasted to obey and a moment after she grabbed hold of Howard they were on their way.

Oh Jeez, Penny said to herself.


	2. Memories

Chapter 2 – Memories

Not far from the spot where they had picked up Sophia Penny found a place to stop.

´Let's have an early lunch,´ she suggested. ´Will you help Howard to make soup Sophia?´

_Question her_, she mouthed to Howard when she handed him her mug.

´We will stand guard,´ she told the girl.

Behind her Howard got devices and supplies from his Vespa. He cleared his throat.

´This is something I designed Sophia.´

´Are you an inventor?´

´I'm an engineer. It's a bit like being an inventor. These are solar cells, see?´

Penny watched the surroundings ahead of her and recalled how excited the men had been when Wolowitz had shown them his designs. Sheldon paying Howard a compliment had made her realise that Howard had done something truly clever.

´We're not used to having young ladies around,´ Howard said, ´And I hope you don't mind a casual introduction. Penny you know. The yawning guy is Leonard. The tall one is Sheldon and the one with the cap is Raj.´

´Hi,´ Sophia shyly said.

´Hi Sophia,´ Leonard replied pleasantly at the same moment Sheldon stiffly said ´Hello.´ Raj managed a greeting also.

´Why are they not facing us? Are they angry at me?´

´It's safer this way. We now cover all sides see?´

´You would if you _faced_ each other.´

´You're a smart girl, aren't you?´

Sheldon huffed. ´We won't be distracted by facial expressions this way,´ he explained.

´We'll have soup in a moment. Want an energy bar now?´ Howard said.

´Yes please.´

´Here you are. So little one, how come you're all alone here?´

Penny only had eyes for the surroundings but her ears were focused on Howard and Sophia and on the familiar sounds of a warm lunch being prepared.

´We were hiding under cars and _they_ passed by and I got scared and I run,´ the girl said with her mouth full. ´Mr Rick came for me but there was another walker and he told me to hide.´

´Uhuh?´

´I did but then there was another one nearby and I run. I lost them.´

´So you call them _walkers_, do you?´

´Not now Sheldon!´ Howard said.

´I wonder why,´ Sheldon continued, ´I mean, they _move_ all right, but one can hardly call it _walking_. It's more like stumbling. _We_ call them _zombies_ Sophia for that is what they are.´

´Who is Rick?´ Howard asked the girl.

´He's Carl's dad. He's a policeman just like Mr Shane. Mum and I met them on the road. Mr Shane said he was glad to see Mr Rick, who came to us in Atlanta, but I don't think he was.´

´Oh?´

´Everyone now listens to Mr Rick you see.´

Two policemen. That could be good. Then again: during the two or three times Penny had picked up her brother from the police station she had experienced that some cops were power hungry bastards.

´So you came from Atlanta?´ Howard asked.

´No. But we stayed near Atlanta for a while and then we were attacked by walk- zombies. Mr Rick said we had to go to the CDC then.´

´Excellent choice.´

Ignoring Sheldon Howard asked: ´Did you walk to the CDC?´

´No, we travel by car.´

´That must be crowded, you and your mum and Carl and Rick and Shane in one car.´

Penny privately admired Howard's interrogation skills.

´We have several cars. And Mr Daryl's got a motor bike. He has a crossbow, just like Miss Penny.´

´It's a hand-bow.´

´Sheldon!´

´Really Howard, no need to get sloppy.´

´Could you hand _this_ mug to Sheldon and _this_ one to Raj Sophia?´

Sophia did as she was bid and it was silent for a moment except for a bird singing. Penny loved the sound of it: animals always kept quiet when zombies were near.

When Sophia returned to Howard he told her that _her_ soup was ready too. Before the girl had a chance to taste it Howard asked her after the size of her group.

´There's eleven of us now. Will you help me find my mum please?´

Silence.

´Can you bring this mug to _Penny?_´

It's my decision huh, Penny thought. Fair enough.

Sophia handed Penny her soup.

´Thanks sweety. Do you like your group, besides your mum of course?´

´_Like_ them? If they look after her, they can be the Dalton brothers for all she cares. Of course there aren't ten Dalton brothers or eleven if she excluded her – ´

´Hush!´ Penny said. ´Are there other women besides your mum Sophia?´

Slurping.

´There's Carl's mum. And Miss Andrea.´

Five or six men.

´Are your people armed?´ Leonard asked.

Penny smiled for her ex-boyfriend didn't sound afraid. After they'd encountered some living freaks a couple of weeks ago, Leonard had left Leonard-who-gets-bullied behind him.

Sophia said they had guns and knives and bats.

Well, Penny said to herself, can't blame them for that. She finished her soup. Dealing with other people was risky these days. Then again, having a girl in tow wasn't safe either. And there was the thing of a child needing a mother.

´We'll help you Sophia,´ she said. ´Howard will ask you about the place where you got lost.´

´But first,´ Howard said, ´I will ask my young assistant to give this mug to Leonard.´

´Would you say that your people are looking for you Sophia?´ Sheldon coolly asked.

´Yes?´

´That is no answer. But let us assume that they will. You are part of their social group after all and your mother will most certainly not give up on you. Biology beats the brain far too often.´

´Sheldon.´

´Yes. Well. This Rick Sophia mentioned seems fairly _smart_. Let's assume he checked the place where she got lost and -´

´Dude, there was a group of zombies hanging around.´

´I _know_ that Raj. Sophia's people could have found themselves a house to use as a command centre. From there they could check the road every day, in case the girl would return to it.´

´Makes sense,´ Penny admitted. ´But we need to find the location were Sophia got lost first.´

She wished they could leave. Though everyone kept their voices down, it seemed to her that they were making far too much noise.

´I'm spreading out the map right now,´ Howard informed them. ´Where was your group heading for Sophia?´

´Fort Bening,´ the girl replied.

´Did you travel on a one lane road?´

´Three. It was blocked by empty cars.´

´Uhuh. From your arrival point of view, did you run to the right side or did you run to the left side of the road?´

´The right side.´

´How long were you in the forest by yourself?´

´I stayed in trees for three nights. And I slept in an abandoned house for one night.´

´Did you see many houses?´

´No.´

´What did you do during the day Sophia?´

´I tried to find mum.´

´Did you ever cross a road?´

´No.´

´Was there a river or stream or so?´

´Yes. It wasn't deep but it was wide. I didn't cross it.´

´OK, now let's see. Do you think you walked far away or did you perhaps walk in circles?´

´I saw a heart in a tree a couple of times. It said Dennis loves Meryl. I never thought to leave a message too…´

From Sophia's tone of voice Penny guessed she was trying hard not to cry. Howard's gently reply confirmed her idea.

´For a girl all alone, without a weapon, you've done wonderful Sophia. Your mother will be proud of you.´

It was silent for a while. Sophia, possibly at her own initiative, came to collect the empty mugs.

´Thanks to Sophia's good answers I think I can locate the place where she lost her group. I've marked it with an X Sheldon. Our location is marked with a red dot. Could you confirm my idea?´

´Change of guard,´ Sheldon formally announced.

Penny heard the shuffling of feet. It didn't take long before Sheldon spoke.

´I agree,´ he said. ´Penny, it's at three point eight miles. As the crow flies. Over seven by road.´

A distance of nothing. On their arrival they might walk into a herd of zombies though. And there really was no way to tell where Sophia's people were right now. Penny looked at the grey sky. They needed a command centre of their own.

´Are there houses nearby Sheldon?´

´Several Penny,´ Sheldon said sulkily. ´But I must object -´

´Can you guide us to the nearest house?´

´_Of course_ I can Penny.´

OoOoOoO

_After another day of training with her marine it felt like heaven to Penny to slouch on the couch in 4A. By the time she started eating her Chinese food at a slower pace, she was able to think again. She knew that Howard had worked on his technical devices. Unlike him, _Sheldon_ didn__'__t have lubricating oil on his hands and clothes. Leonard and Raj had followed a first aid course and they__'__d shopped for gear. Unlike them,_ Sheldon_ didn__'__t look tired. Unlike her, _he_ wasn__'__t bruised._

_´Say Sheldon. What did you do today?´_

_Sheldon raised his eyebrows. ´I memorized Penny.´_

_´Yeah, I read so in the schedule, but what did you memorize? An instruction book on how to repair a broken down Vespa? You know, I still don__'__t get why we can__'__t _fly_ to Nebraska.´_

_´One zombie in the aircraft and we will be gone.´_

_´There are no zombies around now. Not here.´_

_It was three weeks after her first fighting class and Penny no longer believed that her men were making fun of her._

_´At Call Tech we have the facilities to make the future easier for us. If we go to the farm _now_ we will lack that opportunity.´_

_´But we__'__d be _alive!

_´We__'__d live like _Neanderthalers_ Penny!´_

_´And what you did today is going to prevent that?´_

_´No, but it will help us during our journey. I am memorizing all routes from here to our destination and from any given point between here and our destination. Naturally I am also filing the locations of important buildings, such as research institutions: knowlegde. Police stations: weapons. Pharmacies: medicines. And in case of need: supermarkets. For the rural areas I will also include houses. You can question me. I've covered the first hundred miles.´_

_Penny accepted the challenge. With the help of Google maps she named a village and asked Sheldon how to get from there to the nearest hospital. When he got to the third option she begged him to eat the last dumpling._

_´Oh, I will _miss_ dumplings,´ Sheldon said with a sigh. _

OoOoOoO

Of the first house Sheldon brought them to nothing but a few blackened walls remained. Halfway the driveway to the second house Penny, who rode ahead, spotted a zombie. Its ankle was caught in a trap. Sophia shrieked. Penny was sorry that she hadn't told the girl to shut up. The zombie, though it looked hideous, wasn't threatening but Penny planned to leave for the driveway ahead of them was a muddy trail without tyre tracks. Howard thought differently. He parked Roheryn and told Sophia to remain seated. Taking his bat with him he walked to the hungry zombie.

My friend smashes a zombie's skull and he looks calm and dangerous. The horny engineer is gone, Penny thought.

The third house had a welcoming "face" but along with it came a garden that had not been tended to in months. Penny wanted a clear vision and she asked Sheldon to guide them further. Radiating anger he obeyed.

Property number four was a trailer. It stood on a square of asfalt and a bird hopped off the roof as they approached. Penny took a small stone from her coat's pocket and threw it against the trailer. Nothing happened. She rode to the back side where the door was situated. Her friends followed her.

´Now listen Sophia. Raj and I will check the trailer. You will stay here with Howard and be _really_ silent, OK?´

´Yes Miss Penny.´

Penny readied her hand-bow. Raj held his manchette and he looked determined. The others stood guard, prepared to fight if need be.

We've changed, Penny realised yet again. In the week after their escape from Pasadena she had feared it would never happen. Despite the preparations her men had made the horror of living in a zombie infaded world had shaken them to their core. Penny had needed to be the strong one. She had gladly accepted the part: it helped to act like a warrior queen when you had to eliminate zombies. As she had grown in her role her friends had slowly adjusted to reality.

Penny wished with all her heart that they could still be discussing Stan Lee's contribution to syfy or bicker over which of Professor's X's men was the coolest.

Penny and Raj looked through the windows. There were no flies on them. All seemed clear. Raj slowly opened the trailer's door. The house wasn't big, but it took several minutes before they had searched it. They checked behind every door and under every piece of furniture. They opened every cupboard and drawer. When they were done Penny nodded at Raj, who wiped his brow and went to the door to whistle the _gather _signal.

Sophia held Howard's hand as they walked to the entrance.

´OK,´ Penny started, ´The trailer is clear. Bottles of water, canned food, clothes. It's a good place to start our quest. It also has a clean functional bathroom.´

Sheldon, overcome with joy, covered his mouth.

Good, Penny said to herself. Don't speak Sheldon. At least not while Sophia is around.

They entered the trailer and had some canned fruit and bottled water except for Sheldon who was anxious to be the first to have a shower. Raj, standing guard in the doorway, exclaimed: ´This is _so_ yummy!´

Penny agreed with the sentiment though she thought the word "divine" was more fitting. Because shopping areas would be crowded with zombies they tried to avoid them. With the food they gathered from field and forest combined with the dried food and vitamin pills they had taken with them there was hardly a need to visit stores. As a result they barely ever drank water without purifying chemicals added to it. Penny had learned the hard way that Sheldon had a point in insisting they would not drink "soiled" water.

Penny savoured her last sip and went back to business.

´You haven't slept properly in days, have you Sophia?

The girl shyly shook her head.

´There's a small bedroom at the back. Why don't you have a shower and then go to bed. There are some clothes here that I think will fit you just fine.´

´Won't that be stealing?´ Sophia asked, looking at Howard.

´Some months ago, when the world was normal, it _would_ have been,´ he replied. ´But would you mind if a girl found shelter in _your_ house and changed her torn, stained clothes for something clean?´

Sophia shook her head.

´See? The child who lived here won't mind either.´

´It's a bit like trading,´ Penny added.

Sophia kept smiling at Howard.

Look at that, Penny thought. If I were her I would make an adult like me too. But why didn't she pick _me_? Am I not likeable anymore? Or is Sophia old enough to understand that men have a thing for a damsel in distress? Or was she daddy's little girl?

´Say Sophia, you haven't mentioned your father have you?´

´He got eaten,´ Sophia said.

Not bitten. Not killed. Eaten. Leonard and Howard looked as shocked as Penny felt.

´I'm so sorry.´

´I'm not. He hurt mum.´

Sophia ate her last pear.

Sheldon entered the living room. ´I feel positively revitalized,´ he said. ´And don't worry: I only used the shower for two minutes. There will be plenty of water for all of you. I also left it spotless but that goes without saying.´

´We expected nothing less Sheldon,´ Leonard said.

Sheldon poured himself a glass of water.

Sophia waited whether the adults were going to say more. When they didn't, she said: ´That tasted really good. Thank you. But I liked your soup even better Mr Howard.´

´Right,´ Penny said. ´Now let's get you a nice hot shower and then you can go to bed.´

The girl looked doubtful about the bed part but when Howard said that it didn't matter that it was only early in the afternoon she followed Penny to the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later on Penny returned to the living room. She found Howard sitting behind his laptop. Leonard was asleep on a folding bed.

´Raj and Sheldon are guarding,´ Howard said.

´I'm sure they both wanna play with the toys. I'll relieve one of them.´

Howard smiled and Penny decided to stay for a while.

´Sophia is smitten with you.´

Howard shrugged.

´You're her hero,´ Penny added. Her friend's smile faded instantly.

´I'm a coward.´

´No you're not.´

´Ask my mother if she agrees with you. ´

Howard had arrived at 2311 all alone. He had said four words:_ she didn__'__t make it_. In the following months he had never mentioned his mother again. He had avoided his friends' attempts to comfort him but everyone knew that he missed his mum: he always made sure that the name of his Vespa was visible even if he had to use saliva for it.

´What happened?´

Howard's hands moved over the keyboard. His jaw was clenched.

´If you don't wanna talk…´

Howard sat back and stared at his folded hands.

´It's about time I talked. I've been a coward about that too.´

Penny opened her mouth but Howard raised his hand to stop her from replying.

´Near my house the first zombies were out already. People panicked, it was crowded. I took a short cut, through an alley. My mother lost her bag. She yelled that I had to stop. I did. What an idiot I was.´

He swallowed. Penny listened for any suspicious noises coming from outside. Apart from Leonard's soft snorring, it was quiet.

´I let her get off,´ Howard said, talking even more slowly than he had before. ´From behind a carbage bin a zombie came for me. He still looked human Penny. Wearing a suit, a key-cord with a company pass around his neck. I felt like a bunny staring at a snake. Then he moaned and I got off and I hit him with my bat. I didn't aim for the head. I just _couldn't_. He tried to bite me. I was only aware of him and me. ´

Penny knew the feeling. She nodded.

´I hit him again. He came back. I peed my pants.´

Howard cleared his throat. ´I hit him once more and he happened to fall head first on a piece of glass. You know what I was thinking?´

Not waiting for a reply Howard continued: ´I feared that the cops would come and arrest me for killing an innocent business man. For all the preparations we'd made, for all we knew, I had never pictured how it would be. Their moaning. Their dead eyes. Their horrible scent. The feeling of being prey. I stood there and I _stared_. I don't know how long it took me to become aware of the surroundings. My mother shrieked and I turned to tell her that we should leave and that I was all right. _She_ wasn't all right. She hit a zombie who was feeding from her leg but as I hurried toward her, she already became weaker. I smashed the zombie's head again and again. She was dying. I told her I loved her. Don't know if she registered it. I left.´

Penny held her crying friend. She didn't plan on letting go until he was ready for it.

´I left her to die all alone. I couldn't face seeing her turn. I couldn't!´

When Howard's sobs died down Penny said: ´You rebuild a Vespa so you could take her with you and she could survive. You helped her when she was attacked even though you were scared. You are _not_ a coward Howard Wolowitz. Cowards don't fight for their friends.´

Howard moved a little and Penny lessened her hold on him. He sat up straight and used the back of his hand to remove some mucus. ´If this were a TV series I would say: common guys, don't just _sit_ there, go and find the girl's people.´

Penny ruffled his hair. ´I'd better go and get you an assistant then.´

She was about to walk away when Howard grabbed her hand.

´Penny. If I should get bitten I can't picture myself to shoot my brain out. Will you do the honours then?´

Penny's instinct was to say that he _wouldn__'__t_ get bitten, that they'd all arrive safely at her family's farm. Seeing the desperate look in her friend's eyes and knowing deep down that they might not even make till the next day, she nodded.

´I will.´

Howard looked as if something really nice had just happened to him. It pained Penny to see it but she was an actress and she made it outside without shedding a tear.


	3. Lessons learned

Chapter 3 – Lessons learned

Leaves fell.

Penny relaxed her muscles the way Juan had taught her.

An owl shrieked.

Penny applied the marine's mind tricks to stay focused.

She heard a whistle. Sheldon's whistle. She answered it.

Her friend walked toward her and handed her a spoon and a steaming mug filled with noodles.

´All quiet?´ he whispered, leaning on his bat.

´Yes.´

´_They_ think you assisted Sophia in the shower because she was exhausted.´

Penny listened to the evening sounds while relishing the smell of her unexpected snack.

´No bite marks,´ she said.

´We start to think alike.´

Penny didn't contradict her friend. She blew on her noodles.

´The satellite connection is stable but incredibly slow,´ Sheldon informed her. ´Our solar power will feed the laptop for six more hours. No life signs so far.´

Penny listened to the evening sounds.

´How long will we search for the girl's mother Penny?´

Penny recalled the day when a defeated Sheldon had said: _With great power comes great responsibility._ She had solemnly replied _Understood._ It had meant nothing. She didn't understand until _now_.

´We'll search tomorrow and the next morning.´

´And then we leave.´

´Yes. We take Sophia with us if need be.´

She cast a glance at Sheldon. It was full moon and she could see a muscle near his eye twitch.

Penny listened to the evening sounds.

OoOoOoO

The bathroom was modest but the owner had left a bath-robe, shampoo and huge towels. Penny couldn't have felt more pampered in a spa. Her bra, shirt and socks were waiting in the shower. When you're lucky enough to find water, you have to make the most of it; Juan had taught them during survival training. Penny took the time to brush the tangles out of her hair. Back in Pasadena the guys had told her that zombies might grab her by her long hair. Rather than cutting it off, she had put it up. When her hair was smooth again, Penny dropped her borrowed bath-robe to the floor and took off her jeans. She stared at the scratch on her inner thigh.

´Fucking bastard,´ she whispered with venom.

OoOoOoO

_With Raj and Leonard standing guard and Howard and Sheldon preparing dinner, Penny took the opportunity to answer nature's call. She was glad Juan had introduced her to a tool that allowed women to pee standing. Just when she was about to zip up, she heard Sheldon shout. _

_´No sir! Those are our vehicles!´_

_Penny's heart rate increased instantly, but before she could react she was knocked to the ground. Groaning from pain she reached for her bat. Her attacker took advantage of her movement to drag down her jeans. Penny moved her elbow backwards and hit something soft._

_A man turned her on her back and hit her when she punched him. _

_´I don_'_t wanna share you with my friends yet. So keep quiet bitch.´ _

_Penny didn_'_t _want_ to alert her friends or any passing zombies for that matter. Besides: she wasn't going to waste her breath on the bastard. He straddled her and cupped her breasts. _

_´Nice tits. Bet you cunt feels just right too.´_

_Penny could move her legs and she wiggled underneath the man. With her left hand she clawed at him to keep him distracted. It did not prevent him from moving one hand down. His watch hurt her thigh as he shoved his fingers in her panties. Penny had manoeuvred herself into a position where she could reach her right boot and the screwdriver she kept there and for a moment she lay still. _

_The man chuckled. ´I knew you would comply. You want some candy right?´_

_Ignoring what he was doing, Penny stabbed him in his side. _

_Everything went in a haze. _

_She zipped up and the moment after that she helped the guys to fight their attackers and then Sheldon gently removed a blood stained bat from her hands. _

OoOoOoO

´I _hate_ it that he thought I _liked_ his idea of sex!´ Penny said while looking into the mirror on the medicine-cupboard.

´He's not worth mentioning. The pigs are dead,´ her reflexion whispered back to her. ´And you will not spoil the joy of having a shower by thinking of them. You killed them. They had it coming.´

Penny nodded.

´You're _not_ a freak Penelope. You defended yourself and your friends. Any jury would have understood. Now, get that shower woman!´

Penny followed her own suggestion. The hot water caressing her body felt like heaven.

OoOoOoO

Penny was decorating a Christmas tree when her nephew demanded her attention for the sand castle he was making on the kitchen table.

´Aunt Penny! Look! Pen-ny!´

´What?´

´Wake up Penny. I found something.´

Penny opened her eyes and blinked. Raj squatted beside the bed and grinned at her excitedly. For a fleeting moment she thought he had walked into her apartment. She sat up and saw that Howard was asleep on the couch.

´At a couple of miles from here there's cultivated land!´

´That's great! Have you found the place where the farmers live?´

Raj rose and said: ´The laptop was running out of power. But if we feed Sheldon the data we gathered, he will be able to say where we should go to.´

OoOoOoO

Penny told her friends not to inform Sophia about their satellite connection and computer. _If_ they found her group, the child might mention the gadgets and Penny didn't want to risk having to fight for them.

´But what _do_ we tell her?´ Sheldon demanded to know. The five of them were standing outside. Penny had locked Sophia's bedroom door.

´Last evening we used our paper map to study the routes her people could have used,´ Penny improvised. ´After dawn we will start our search. We will check a few properties along the way and then surprise: we see farmer's land.´

She kept silent for a moment to listen to the sounds coming from the forest.

´Sheldon, Howard and I will be in favour of exploring it. Raj has his doubts and Leonard wants to stick to our original plan.´

´Understood,´ Leonard confirmed.

Penny talked some more. She ended by suggesting that Howard could now have a shower while Leonard and Raj had breakfast.

The second breakfast shift consisted of Penny, Sophia, Sheldon and Howard. The table was set for them including bowls of fruit, plates with their regular breakfast and even table decorations. Penny guessed Raj had arranged for that for she couldn't imagine that in Leonard's world zombies and little swans made of paper napkins co-existed.

After they finished their fruit Sheldon questioned Sophia about the CDC.

´Were the scientists close to finding a cure?´

Sophia shook her head. ´No sir, there was only one doctor left and he blew up the building.´

Sheldon put down his cutlery.

´He did _what!_?´

´He bl- blew up the b- building.´

Sophia looked at Howard. ´We had to run. Except for Miss Jacqui. She chose to stay with the doctor.´

´He committed suicide? For crying out loud! He's not worthy to be called a scientist. And couldn't he just have _shot_ himself? Destroying a fully equipped research facility just like that!´

´I liked Miss Jacqui,´ Sophia told Howard.

Sheldon's nostrils were flaring and he was not done talking yet, but Penny silenced him by placing her hand on his arm.

´It's a hard world isn't it Sophia?´ Howard said.

The girl swallowed her mouthful and said: ´I'm glad to be alive anyway. I'm sorry I lost my doll though. But maybe I'm too old for her.´

Penny felt sad. She heard herself ask: ´Has Leonard contacted Leslie already?´

´_Of course_ he has Penny. It is after seven am after all.´

´Still nothing,´ Howard contributed.

´I told him on six occasions that though Leslie Winkle is an overrated scientist she will not allow a zombie to come near her or her sister.´

Sheldon tilted his head. ´If _she_ had been the only one left at the CDC she would _not_ have given up. She has your spirit Penny. Of course there's no point of her being in charge for she knows as much about viruses as a guinea-pig. She has that in common with you too.´

´Thanks Sheldon.´

´Sarcasm?´

´Not really. I only have to close my eyes and I'm back in 4A.´

Howard grinned.

Sheldon shifted in his seat. ´Do you recall when Juan wanted me to kill an animal?´

Penny recalled it. To trick the tricksters she had arranged a survival weekend. When she had told them about it they had praised her idea, much to her discomfort. When they had stood in the muddy middle of nowhere, rain pouring down on them, Penny had accepted as a given that they would get even with her. Actually she had _hoped_ for it for a payback would be far better than project Z _not_ being a prank.

Sheldon. Had. Slaughtered. A. Hare. The blood had run over his long pale fingers and he had tried not to faint. Right then and there Penny had known that it was for real.

´Uhuh,´ Penny said in reply to Sheldon's question.

´I told Juan that I would try it, and you said _Do or do not. There is no try._ At that moment I realised that it had just been a great quote to me. _You_ breathed _life_ into those words Penny. When I now face a zombie, it's _your_ voice that whispers those words in my ear. Not Yoda's.

Sheldon focused on his meal again. Penny wiped away a tear that clung to her eyelashes. Howard and Sophia either didn't notice it or were just pretending not to.

´This tastes good Mr Howard. What is it?´

Sheldon smirked.

Howard cleared his throat and said: ´It's almost pure protein. With some dandelion leaves.´

´I like it!´

´I'm sure you _don__'__t_ like not being able to go to school,´ Sheldon said.

Sophia said that her mother and Carl's mother had taught them stuff.

Sheldon huffed and wondered aloud whether Sophia's mum would be able to teach her daughter on a more advanced level than elementary school.

´Education is everything! Without it the average IQ will drop for the first time in centuries. Once we have arrived at our destination I will have to devote some of my time to setting up an educational system.´

Penny said it was about time to leave. Whenever the future was mentioned she got restless.


	4. From A to B

Author's note: Some stories in the BBT fandom are updated almost daily. I can't even update _Brief encounter_ on a monthly basis but trust me: by my standards I'm fast. ;) Chapter 4 is an interlude. It describes the journey to Hershel's farm and there's a flashback that gives some insight as to the preparation time the five heroes had. Thank you for reading and commenting.

Chapter 4 – From A to B

Half a year ago Penny's gorge would have risen at spotting long forgotten vegetables in her refrigerator. Right now she shoved a dead zombie to the side of the road as if her sense of smell was malfunctioning. With some shame she registered that she was giving the zombie an angry stare as if it could help it that it had been a sensible woman only two or three weeks ago.

Penny checked the zombie's backpack. It was a practical thing to do though she disliked finding the inevitable personal items such as family pictures or a driver's licence.

´It's past Nag time,´ Sheldon softly pointed out.

´Listening.´

´Sophia,´ Sheldon said, ´we will each nag for a moment. For approximately the next twenty-four hours we will not utter complaints or worries. I will start by saying that I wish we'd found your people already.´

´Thank you,´ Sophia said. ´So do I. I miss mum and everyone else too. What about your ring Mr Sheldon?´

´Excuse me?´

´Your ring. Is it a special ring?´

´That is not a complaint now is it?´

´No it's not. I'm just curious sir.´

´All right. My ring is a Green Lantern ring and- ´

´Raj?´ Penny interrupted Sheldon.

´I'm cool.´

Swans made of napkins and a beard trim.

´No complaints here,´ Leonard said.

Sleeping in a bed.

´Skipping this turn,´ Howard said.

Penny hoped that the promise she made her friend didn't have a major part in improving his spirits. Having been off the road for a night, enjoying a shower and last but not least working with high-tech tools must have their effect on Howard too.

She was sure that her men missed the intellectual challenge of their jobs. At her father's farm their computers and many gadgets would wait for them. They planned to bring on a new Renaissance and Penny was sure they would succeed. But what on earth was _she_ going to do when there were no zombies left to kill?

´Nothing on my side,´ Penny said. She rose. ´Let's get moving.´

Before she seated herself behind Raj she handed Sophia a small bat she had found in the backpack. To Leonard she gave the spare socks the dead woman had brought along. In a pocket of her pants Penny stuffed some tampons. Every zombie has a silver lining she told herself.

OoOoOoO

A huge tree blocking the road ruined their plan to arrive at the farmhouse of Sheldon's choice at around noon. They first tried to get the vehicles across using manpower. Sophia cried out encouragingly and Penny waited for the guys to stop the girl. Not even Sheldon did so but Penny guessed that _he_ - unwilling to make even _more_ noise -at least tried to silence the girl telepathically. She whistled the change of guard signal. Raj came to replace her and she gave him a dark look. He glanced at her sheepishly.

A week ago we faced a group of eight moaning, decomposing zombies, Penny thought. The guys dealt with them without even _blinking_ but a little girl is too much for them? On our way here Howard even answered some questions Sophia asked him. What was he thinking?

Penny faced Sophia.

´Silence saves lives,´ Penny told the girl in a whisper. She heard the anger in her own voice and she saw the effect it had on Sophia.

´Shouting _yeah you can do it_ will attract zombies,´ she continued more gently. ´No chatting little one. Be quiet!´

Sophia blushed and nodded. Penny eyed Howard and Sheldon and raised her eyebrows. They looked down.

She stepped closer and gestured to Llamrei, Roheryn and Chetak. ´Ideas?´

´Physics,´ Sheldon whispered back.

The alternative would be to return and take another road to the farm. It would cost fuel but more importantly they might run into zombies who were alerted when they drove by on their way here.

Penny nodded and resumed guard duty. She breathed in deeply and reminded herself of wise words: when you guard, you guard. She wondered whether Juan would be all right. Would he have turned into a thief and a rapist by now or would he lead his loved ones into safety?

OoOoOoO

_´Why do you guys take this survival class?´ _

_The six of them sat underneath a shelter Penny and Howard had created. They ate a hare prepared by Sheldon and Raj on a fire made by Leonard._

_At 4A they had anticipated that the marine would ask the why question. Sheldon had volunteered to reply and no one had objected: Dr Cooper_'_s verbosity had the same quality as a lullaby. Not that they had told him so of course._

_´Have you ever heard about solar flames?´ Sheldon asked Juan._

_Juan had not. He soon interrupted Sheldon_'_s lecture: ´So you_'_re preppers. I_'_ve got an aunt who invests in silver because she_'_s afraid of hyper-inflation.´_

_´She_'_d better buy dried food and some weapons to protect it,´ Sheldon said._

_´Yeah but if she feels good this way… Do you guys prepare for more disasters?´_

_´Like what?´ Penny asked._

_´Oh, don_'_t know. A volcano erupting, creeps roaming the earth.´_

_Juan spoke with a genuine smile on his face, but Queen Penelope had a number one rule: trust no one._

_´Like vampires and stuff?´ she said in a disbelieving tone of voice._

_´Vampires aren_'_t really dangerous Penny,´ Sheldon said. ´You_'_re always safe during the day and after dusk you_'_re safe in your own house provided you never invite them in. If you would invite them in, and I just might for it would be fascinating to interview a vampire who "lived" for hundreds or even thousands of years, you should always rescind your invitation afterwards. In a polite way of course.´_

_Penny winked at Juan before addressing Sheldon. ´But wouldn_'_t you be obliged to serve the visiting vampire a hot beverage?´_

_Leonard chuckled. He hadn_'_t spoken a lot and Penny guessed his jaw still hurt from having his wisdom-tooth removed._

_´I would go to a butcher_'_s and ask for pig_'_s blood. Pigs resemble humans in a great many ways and the drink would therefore be as nutritious if perhaps not as palatable as human blood. My vampire guest would appreciate the trouble I took. In case he lacks the breeding of count Dracula I will make sure to eat lots of garlic in the days before our meeting to ensure that a mere sip of my blood will make him sick. I advise you to do the same Leonard. And you as well Penny. Though vampires seem to have a craving for virgins, so you_'_d be safe.´_

_´Then _you'd _better make sure to interview a _womanising _vampire sweety.´_

_´It may come as a shock Sheldon,´ Howard said when Raj was done giggling and Juan had stopped laughing, ´but vampires, fairies, zombies, werewolves, hobbits and trolls don_'_t actually exist.´_

_Sheldon seemed offended._

_´I know, I know,´ he said. ´But solar flames _do_. Without electricity this country will become a land run by Chaos. I detest Chaos.´_

OoOoOoO

Sheldon whistled the alert signal. Penny, not seeing anything in her field of vision, re-checked the wide ditches next to the road. Sheldon had heard correctly: a zombie dragged itself toward them. The creature would never get out of the ditch but its soft moaning would eventually lure others. Penny's arrow hit bull's eye. A life time ago Juan had told her that she should try to join the Olympic team. Penny felt down at the thought that there would probably never be Olympics again.

Leonard whistled all clear. Penny checked the other ditch once more before doing the same. Soon afterwards Sophia joined her. The girl opened her mouth and then thought the better of it. She raised two fingers of her left hand and then gave the thumbs up with her right hand. Gesturing toward her wrist she raised five fingers.

Things were going faster than Penny had anticipated. Another good thing was that the girl was a quick student after all. Penny smiled at her. Sophia didn't return it. When the girl walked back to the tree Penny shrugged.

OoOoOoO

Between leaving the tree behind them and discovering cultivated land they passed a burned down car with human remains in it. A few metres down the road a still life "revolver and jerrycan amid bones" awaited them. They drove on. Raj had long ago stopped placing flowers near scenes like this one.

When they spotted a farmhouse Howard spoke his line: ´I think it's best when Penny checks the place.´

They found a spot from where they could see the entrance without being seen themselves. Penny lifted Chetak's saddle to get her backpack and went on her way. She felt self-confident because she knew how to fight and because Raj was glued to his binoculars to report her every move.

The harvest gently moved in the wind. Some birds flew by and an unseen horse whinnied. When Penny got a good look at the lovely farmhouse she couldn't but compare it to the U shaped farm her ancestors had built. Her classmates had mocked her for it but when her men had seen her family fortress on Google maps they had been thrilled. Nowadays Penny wouldn't trade her parental home for all the pretty farmhouses she had dreamt of as a girl.

She was spotted and someone ran into the house. Penny was on the alert but she put on a sunny smile. By the time she reached the house a man had come out to the porch. He had a gun and he made sure she saw it but he didn't point it at her.

´Hello sir,´ Penny said. She kept her hands where the man could see them. 'My name is Penny.´

´Hello Penny. I am Hershel Greene. This is my farm.´

´It's beautiful. And it's great to see other survivors,´ Penny said referring to the people who had followed the farmer outside.

´These are my family and neighbours.´

´Hello everyone. My name is Penny.´

She got nods for replies.

´I'm really glad to meet you and I hope you may be able to help me. I'm looking for some people. Maybe you've seen them.´

´Are they locals?´

´No they're not.´

´Come along then,´ Hershel Greene said as he stepped down. ´We've got some people camping with us and perhaps - . Oh, they're here already.´

Penny looked to her left. She saw a young Asian and an elderly man wearing a sun hat.

´This young lady is Penny,´ Hershel told them. ´She just arrived and she's looking for some folks. You've been travelling and maybe you saw them.´

´Hello Penny,´ the eldest man pleasantly said. ´I'm Dale. This is Glenn.´

Penny didn't recognise the names and her smile faded just a notch.

´Whom are you looking for?´ Dale inquired.

´I'm looking for the mother of Sophia.´

The Asian man immediately turned around but the older man stopped him.

´You found Sophia?´

Penny felt like singing but she merely replied: ´Yes.´

´Good Lord! Is she alive and well?´

Moved by the man's anxiety Penny could only smile.

Dale let go of his young friend's arm and the latter ran away shouting: ´Carol!´

Dale walked toward Penny and hugged her.

´This is wonderful!´ he said. ´Wonderful!´

It is, Penny thought. And it is a burden of our shoulders and damn me for thinking that.

Behind her back Penny gave the thumbs up.

´When did you find her? Was she nearby? The poor girl must have been so afraid. I'm so happy she's unharmed!´

´We found her yesterday at a couple of miles from here.´

A nervous looking woman claimed Penny.

´You found her? You found my little girl? Is she all right?´

´Sophia is just fine,´ Penny reassured the girl's mother. The woman covered her mouth with her hand. Her eyes got teary. Smiling brightly Dale supported her.

´Where is she?´

Penny gestured toward the road: ´There they are.´

She glanced at the strangers surrounding her to find out what kind of first impression her friends made. Those who didn't smile at the prospect of seeing Sophia again cautiously eyed the approaching vehicles.

By their uniforms Penny identified Rick aka Carl's dad and Shane. Or Shane and Rick. They seemed ready to fight if need be. Proud to learn that her men didn't look like sissies Penny flashed a smile to the policemen. One of them replied by nodding. The other checked her body.

I guess that's Shane, Penny concluded.


	5. Letˈs talk about the weather

Chapter 5 – Letˈs talk about the weather

´_Weˈve_ been searching for Sophia for _days_,´ Shane told Penny, ´Pretty amazing that it took you less than a day to locate us. You were lucky.´

He didnˈt sound as if he believed in luck.

´You can say that!´ Penny said. Shane tried to stare her down.

´It was great to see how happy you all were when you saw Sophia.´ Penny made sure her smile reached her eyes.

Shaneˈs expression softened. ´Yeah. We lost too many already. You didnˈt start out with the five of you either, did you?´

Penny shook her head. When she remained silent, Shane continued: ´So you already knew each other? Howard, thatˈs his name right? The guy with the beard? He said so.´

Penny nodded. The five of them had agreed that in dealing with strangers their motto _silence saves lives_ needed some adjustment. To satisfy the curiosity of fellow survivors they _would_ talk, but only about limited subjects. The men would make short general remarks such as _Weˈre from California_, while Penny would act the part of chatter-box.

´When I moved into my apartment - itˈs in Pasadena, youˈve ever been there?´

Shane shook his head.

´It used to be a nice place. Before the zombies came that is. Anyway, Leonard and Sheldon already lived down the hall. They had been roommates for a couple of years and they knew Raj and Howard from work. We became a fivesome.´

Shane seemed pleased with the information.

´I only knew Rick and his family before all this started,´ he offered in return, ´I met the others on the road. Howard mentioned that youˈre travelling to your dadˈs farm?´

´Yeah, itˈs in Arkansas. His farmhouse is not as pretty as this one but itˈs home.´

Looking from the house to the camping site she first spotted Raj. He was talking to Dale. Howard was talking to Rick, Glenn and one of Hershelˈs daughters.

Shane followed her gaze. ´Your other friends not around?´

´Leonardˈs on guard duty and -´

´No need for that. Youˈre safe here.´

Penny shrugged girlishly. ´Iˈm safe when I have a friend standing guard.´

Shane smiled at her and then watched the camping site again. ´The other guy guarding too?´

´Sheldon went to ask Mr Greene if he could read his books on medicine.´

´Donˈt wanna spoil things but I doubt Hershel is gonna allow you to stay here for a long time. Your friend wonˈt even be able to finish a single chapter.´

´Sheldon reads very fast.´

Penny had wanted to stay for half an hour at most and then leave. Within minutes they had been invited for dinner though and Hershel had offered Carol the use of his kitchen and dining room. Raj and Leonard had looked at Penny beseechingly and Howard obviously didnˈt want to separate from Sophia and her grateful mother just yet. Sheldon, having found out that Mr Greene was a vet, seemed in no hurry to leave either. Penny had nodded her consent and Howard had accepted the invitation as well as the farmerˈs offer that theyˈd spend the night on his grounds.

At the camping site a brunette had joined the small crowd. She hugged Sophia.

´Whoˈs she?´ Penny asked.

´Thatˈs Lori. Come along, Iˈll introduce you to her,´ Shane readily said. He started walking and Penny followed him.

Heˈs just the sort of guy I could have fallen for, Penny thought. And knowing the shit heads I dated, thatˈs not a compliment for the man.

Meanwhile Lori gestured toward the house and Sophia, along with Hershelˈs daughter, hurried inside. Carol followed them. Lori was about to do the same but when Shane called out for her she walked toward him and Penny.

´Hi, Iˈm Lori, Rickˈs wife and Carlˈs mum.´

´And Shaneˈs good friend,´ Shane added. Without returning his smile Lori nodded. She avoided her friendˈs gaze.

´This is Penny,´ Shane said, ´Sheˈs one of the people who brought Sophia back to us.´

Lori said how happy she was for Sophiaˈs safe return and she mentioned that her son was injured but that he would be thrilled to see his friend. Penny asked her what had happened to Carl and Shane answered her question: ´After Sophia went missing he accidentally got shot. Hershel pulled him through and we can stay here until he has recovered. Heˈs the only one who sleeps in the house.´

Penny heard annoyance in the policemanˈs voice. She wondered how long it would take before Hershel would be the one camping outside. Lori told her that Shane had gotten Hershel the supplies he needed to perform surgery on Carl. Penny made an admiring reply which was waved away by Shane. Lori talked some more and Penny wondered whether she would have tipped her at the Cheese Cake Factory. After a while Penny noticed a man she hadnˈt met yet.

´- could really use a hand,´ Lori said.

´Iˈm sorry. What did you say?´

´You wanna help prepare dinner? We could use a hand in the kitchen.´

´Oh. Well, I actually hoped to spend some time with Daryl. Thatˈs him right?´ Penny said, gesturing into the manˈs direction. Shane and Lori looked over their shoulders.

´Yeah,´ Shane said.

Not wanting him to think that she had interrogated the girl, Penny smiled and said: ´Sophia saw my bow and she proudly mentioned that "Mr Daryl" had one too. It would be nice to compare techniques. See how _he_ makes arrows.´

´Okay,´ Lori said in an undertone.

Shane nodded encouragingly: ´Iˈm sure Daryl can teach you one or two things Penny!´

Penny greeted the two of them with a smile and –fuming inwardly- went to meet Daryl.

OoOoOoO

Being amid merry, talkative people in a room with pictures and paintings on the walls made Penny feel tense. Thereˈs no point in living when you donˈt hope for all this to return, she said to herself. Itˈs good to relax! I just hope that if Raj or Leonard whistles the danger signal, I will be able to hear him.

Apart from her two friends only Dale was missing: he too stood guard. Pennyˈs eyes darted from one face to another. Carol looked like an angel. Sophia wore a party-hat as well as a smile from ear to ear. Howard chatted pleasantly and he had already performed a magic trick. Rick, Shane and the young guy who lived here talked about a football match from the late 1990ˈs. Glenn handed an attractive blonde woman a bowl with vegetables and he said something that made her laugh. Beth used her napkin to clean her lips before taking a sip of water.

This is so weird! Penny thought. There are zombies out there and here we are, playing house. I want to be back on the road, just the five of us.

Next to Glenn sat Daryl, who reminded her of her uncle Eric. She figured that he too felt ill at ease and as if he read her thoughts he gave her the smallest of nods. Penny winked at him and he _almost_ lifted a corner of his mouth.

T-Dog told Beth and another blonde woman why he admired Emma Thompsonˈs script for _Sense and sensibility_. ´Getting rid of so many characters wouldnˈt have been right in a series, but every cut she made for the film was just perfect!´

Penny pretended not to listen to the conversation, but when she smiled because of an observation T-Dog made about Mrs Jenkins, Beth asked her whether _she_ didnˈt just _love_ the film too. Penny felt exposed and she lied that she had only seen it partly.

While on the road she had – at moments- longed to talk about normal things but all of the sudden she was convinced that it would bring bad luck. She focused on her food and the sounds of appreciation Sheldon – who sat next to her- made while he ate. Soon however Sheldon put down his cutlery. So far he had not interacted with their hosts a lot, but that was to change in three, two, one -

´I very much enjoyed this salad. Thank you,´ Sheldon said looking at Carol, but not forgetting to nod to Lori, the blonde farm woman and the Greene girls as well. He received smiles in return.

´The preparations for cooking were done by women only.´

Great subject Sheldon, Penny thought.

She had mentioned Loriˈs remark but without commenting it. Sheldon had merely made a throatily sound and he had continued to turn pages in Hershelˈs book. Penny now understood that he _had_ heard her.

´In most societies the esteemed work is done by men,´ Sheldon lectured. ´In your group the men kill zombies?´

Pennyˈs mind drifted away: Will dad acknowledge his Slugger to be an independent woman? Will I find the courage to stop acting like a daughter? Will he object if I go out to kill the dead? Will I be able to fight him? Will I be _preparing_ food instead of _serving_ it for the rest of my life while the guys make history?

´ - do that,´ Rick said. ´But so does Andrea.´

Andrea, Tricia and Johnny! Those are their names! Penny recalled.

´There will always be exceptions to prove the rule,´ Sheldon said with a shrug and he gestured toward Penny. Just like that she brightened up.

´Many women held esteemed jobs!´ Lori said.

´Absolutely!´ Rick agreed.

´Thereˈs an interesting story about an African tribe,´ Sheldon said, ´The men of that tribe hunted and they were respected for it.´

By now everyone had stopped talking to listen to Sheldon. Howard made a funny face at Penny. She stifled an old-fashioned giggle.

´The women gathered nuts and grew vegetables. Though unlike the men _they_ always brought home food, _their_ contribution to the groupˈs survival was not esteemed. One day a male decided to see something of the world. He ended up with a tribe where the women hunted and the men collected nuts. Need I say who were praised and who were not? The man had been a proud hunter but he happily joined the men in a job he had always found degrading.´

´You know Sheldon,´ Howard said when his friend took a sip of water, ´I _missed_ your monologues.´

´Thank you, so did I. Zombies should be arrested for violating the freedom of speech!´

Sheldon laughed his wack-a-doodle laugh. Howard grinned. For a moment Penny felt perfectly happy. Sophiaˈs group and Hershelˈs people looked at Sheldon with a variety of expressions.

´Do you understand my point now?´ Sheldon asked Lori. The woman looked daggers at him but Sheldon didnˈt get it.

´I think cooking and washing are very important!´ Lori said.

´Absolutely! Without clean clothes we will feel less human and without nutritious meals we will die and turn into zombies.´

Penny noticed that Rickˈs fork paused in mid-air before continuing its way to his mouth.

´They have to bite you,´ T-Dog said.

´No they donˈt. I thought about it and it didnˈt make sense. We are all infected. Should someone die: destroy his or her brain. Sticking a knitting-needle through a nostril will do the trick.´

´Youˈre kidding right?´ Glenn asked.

´Not at all: the ancient Egyptians – ´

´Weˈre not _infected_ right?´ Glenn interrupted Sheldon.

´Yes we are. Weˈve seen proof of it. Someone had left an unharmed baby in a cupboard, probably to keep him safe from zombies. No one freed the child and when Leonard opened the cupboard in hopes of finding food, there it was.´

Howard helped himself to some potatoes and Penny cut a piece of her meat but the others could only stare at Sheldon, who took it for a sign that they were interested in what he had to say.

´Do you know the movie _The Sixth Sense_ by M. Night Shyamalan? In one scene you see nothing but a hall way for _seconds_. Then suddenly someone passes the camera. The entire audience in the cinema gasped when that happened, myself included. Now seeing that baby was even spookier. And when I first saw the babe Leonardˈs shrieking had already prepared me for an unpleasant sight, though I had thought more in the lines of a destroyed pair of Hulk hands.´

T-Dog shook his head as if to get rid of a fly. ´How can we be infected?´ he asked.

´That is a good question and one I yet have to find the answer to. A virus seems the most likely cause. Or an experiment gone wrong. Perhaps a parasite. Have you ever heard of zom-bees? Itˈs really fascinating. You see -´

´Itˈs a horrible idea, isnˈt it?´ Penny interrupted Sheldon before Hershel could do the same. ´When my friends first shared their theory with me, it scared me too. We fight so hard not to get bitten and yet… But what can we do except making sure that we are prepared?´

´Does this mean that we are all zombies Mr Howard?´ Sophia asked in a small voice.

´No little one,´ Howard kindly said, ´We are _humans_, all of us.´

´And should _you_ turn into a zombie Sophia -´

Penny briefly placed her hand on her friendˈs arm.

´What is it Penny?´

´Remember that day when I told you about cleaning a fish?´

´What a redundant question! 2 February 2008. In an attempt to win your heart Leonard asked you to come to our place for a cup of coffee. You accepted the invitation and Leonard was lucky enough to actually prepare a decent beverage. However, you spoiled the joy of finishing it by chatting about the best way to clean a trout, you did _not_ say "a fish", and I had to run to the bathroom.´

´Right,´ Penny said, keenly aware that safe Howard everyone was staring –or glaring- at Sheldon and her, ´And I learned that _some things_ were _not_ to be discussed.´

´No you did _not_ Penny. On 23 September 2008 you would have talked about castrating a bull had I not stopped you!´

Daryl smirked.

´You canˈt possible remember that Penny said that,´ Lori said.

´Yes I can. I have an eidetic memory. From your expression I deduct that you donˈt know the meaning of the word. Allow me to give you a summary by saying: Wesley Crusher from TNG.´

Zombies took over the world and Sheldon uses an abbreviation from a science fiction series to explain something, Penny said to herself. May you live long and prosper my friend!

´Most people go "Aha!" now,´ Sheldon said. ´I take it none of you is a Trekkie.´

´It is almost time to go on guard duty Sheldon,´ Penny said.

´What a shame!´ Lori said in an audible whisper.

´Thank you,´ Sheldon replied. ´But it is only fair that Raj and Leonard get their share of the fun. They guarded us and we will guard them. It will keep us safe, especially since this manor is ill defensible.´

´What do you mean?´ Hershel demanded to know.

´That it is hard to defend this house in case it is attacked,´ Sheldon slowly said.

Hershelˈs eyes became slits. His eldest daughter spoke before he could: ´There are fences around the house. Walkers canˈt climb them.´

´True. But what if dozens or hundreds of zombies push against a fence? Down it goes!´

´There arenˈt many walkers here.´

´We saw a few in the woods. And it has come to my understanding that you folks hold shooting practices around here.´

´Never near the house,´ Rick said.

Sheldon shrugged. ´Gun shots can be heard from miles around. As a policeman you should know that. Zombies are attracted by sounds. They _will_ come. They may not immediately find their way _here_ but -´

´Young man!´ Hershel said as he rose. ´We are safe here!´ At _safe_ he threw his napkin on the table.

Sheldon raised his eyebrows. ´Are you challenging me to a duel _Doctor_ Greene?´

Howard moaned. Penny sighed.

´Iˈm sorry sir,´ she said to Hershel. ´Sheldon means well. He is concerned for your well-being and it makes him forget social niceties.´

´What are silly social niceties compared to safety?´ Sheldon mumbled.

Penny smiled at Hershel beseechingly while Maggie and Beth asked their father to sit down again. He favoured their request, but it did not stop him from looking at Sheldon angrily. Penny had heard a rumour about a chocolate dessert but she was glad to hear Rajˈs whistle.

´Iˈm sorry, we have to go,´ she said as she rose. ´Thank you so much for the wonderful meal. Mr Greene, thank you for your hospitality.´

She meaningfully glanced from Sheldon to their host. Sheldon, who stood also, raised his eyebrows at her.

Apologize, Penny mouthed. Sheldon looked at the ceiling but he followed her cue.

´I am sorry if you felt offended by my wise words sir,´ he said.

Penny and Sheldon left the silent room but no sooner had they taken three steps into the hall or it became rather noisy in the dining room.

Leave it to my whimsical elf to disrupt a party, Penny said to herself.


	6. Breakfast television

Hello dear readers,

Iˈd like to thank you for reading, alerting and favouring and for all your reviews so far. I appreciate your comments as well as you taking the time to make them.

I learned that it is not quite clear in what season of TBBT my story is situated. I added some lines to the introduction (in chapter 1) to clearify things and I will remark here that I have not chosen a particular season. Bernadette and Amy are unknown to Penny and her friends. I added a twist (or so I think) by writing that Penny and Leonard had an affair and broke up after which Leonard was courted by Leslie. You will learn more about that in the chapter that awaits you.

Chapter 6 – Breakfast television

The wind blew against Pennyˈs back, giving her a taste of the approaching winter. The plan was to settle at her fatherˈs farm before December and Penny figured they could still make that.

She heard a cat shriek and turned her head toward the sound. Two cats. Fighting. All was well.

Not losing sight of the job at hand she recalled that her father, who had the imagination of a brick, had believed what she had told him about zombies, right from "Leonard and the guys say". Sheldon had transferred ninety-five thousand dollars to her fatherˈs account to buy among others solar panels, computers and fences. If her fatherˈs willingness to participate in project Z was driven by his idea that Leonard still courted his daughter, so be it. She and Leonard had broken up months ago and not long before rumours about zombies had become mainstream, Leonard had been wooed.

OoOoOoO

_´Is this or is this not your signature Dr Hofstadter?´_

_´It is Sheldon,´ Leonard replied. He sounded defeated._

_´And can you tell me about the contents of the document you signed?´_

_´Sheldon, thereˈs no point. Leonard told Leslie about the zombie threat. So be it.´_

_´No point? How can you say that Penny? He vouched not to reveal it to anyone safe the family members mentioned in paragraph 2.1!´_

_Raj and Howard, looking very displeased, nodded._

_´So what are you gonna do?´ Penny asked Sheldon. ´Feed him to the first zombie we encounter?´_

_´Of course not.´_

_´This isnˈt as horrible as you think it is.´_

_´First of all: a contract is sacred Penny! And last but not least: he told her about your fatherˈs farm! She could arrive there with an army and force us to leave!´_

_It had crossed Pennyˈs mind too but she said: ´We have scenarios to follow in that case.´_

_´I donˈt want to have to follow any of those scenarios. They are too bloody.´_

_Right, Penny thought, as if travelling through zombie territory wonˈt get our clothes stained._

_´I understand that sweety. I also understand Leonard. Leslieˈs his girlfriend, sort of, and he doesnˈt want her to get harmed. Besides, he said that she declined his invitation to travel with us. And if she and her sister make it to the farm, well, it would be good to have more women around.´_

_Howard and Raj stopped throwing Leonard angry glances._

_´What is good about that?´ Sheldon inquired._

_Penny, Raj, Howard and Leonard raised their eyebrows at their friend. _

_´Oh!´_

_Later on, when Sheldon had gone to bed and Raj and Howard had left, Leonard thanked Penny for her support._

_´I think you will like Leslie,´ he said as he poured Penny a glass of wine. ´She believed me. Well first she was grinning, but when she saw my expression, she became serious too. My siblings laughed when I told them. So did dad. Mother recommended a therapist. Typical huh?´_

_Penny didnˈt say he had already told her about his familyˈs reaction to his warning. _

_´Now take _your _dad,´ Leonard continued. ´People who are practically strangers tell him to turn his farm into a real fortress and to have the well in the courtyard restored and he does it! _He _didnˈt tell us to grow up, like Raj's sister did.´_

_´But she contacted him again. And afterwards she made their parents fortify the house and buy food and water supplies.´_

_´In case the needy attack and in case of hyper-inflation,´ Leonard said with an Indian accent._

_´It was a smart move. How else would she have gotten her parents to comply?´_

_Leonard shrugged. ´Your dad is really cool,´ he said. ´He believed us. Look at those pictures he sent. Making rooms at the attic to house us, thatˈs just wonderful.´_

_´Yeah.´_

_´We will have a real home.´_

_´Your family is probably not going to join us there…´ _

_Leonard drained his drink and stared at his glass._

_´You guys are family too,´ he said. _

OoOoOoO

The wind gathered strength and it started to rain. From the corner of her eye Penny saw a small creature flash by. She concluded that it was the loser of the cat fight. She expected it to lick its wounds in the barn that stood some hundred and fifty metres ahead. The cat ran the other way, into the fields.

Must have a concussion, Penny thought.

From behind her came laughter. The innocent sound made her shiver.

Will I ever be able to appreciate normal things or will I be an annoying old lady who orders people to keep their voices down? Penny thought. To be a wrinkled grey-haired woman… Iˈd love to become one.

OoOoOoO

The next morning Penny was emptying her bladder when she heard someone do the same. A moment after she stepped out of the bushes that had given her a little privacy Rick emerged too. They greeted each other a bit awkwardly.

´Going to have breakfast Penny?´

´Yes. Carol said there will be real bread. I donˈt say no to such a treat.´

The two of them walked toward the camping site.

´What do you normally eat for breakfast?´

´Insects.´

Rick grinned. ´Sophia said your breakfast of pure protein tasted great.´

Penny smirked.

´Run out of energy bars?´

Penny knew exactly how much food they had but she replied: ´I hope not.´

She and Rick waved at Shane who was guarding on top of Daleˈs camper.

´We found some bars in a store,´ Penny continued, ´We save them for emergencies.´

Rick nodded. Penny expected him to question her about their supplies, but instead he looked ahead and in a casual tone he said: ´Leonard was up early. He was using a walkie-talkie.´

Rickˈs hand rested on his empty holster. Penny wondered if he pictured Leonard to have summoned the rest of their gang.

´Did he look happy?´

Rick looked puzzled.

´Oh well of course not or he would have told us. Silly me. Leonard has a friend. Leslie. They just started dating before the zombies came. Every morning he contacts her but she hasnˈt responded in weeks.´

´I have a walkie-talkie too. I use it to try and contact a man who helped me in the beginning. Maybe you already heard but I was in a coma when it started. Woke up and found this world.´

´Thatˈs horrible!´

Rick shrugged. ´I guess we all got a wake-up call huh?´

´Yeah!´

´You guys seem to have sorted things out though. Sophia mentioned a cooking device Howard made?´

Penny smiled. ´They get along fine those two. Howardˈs an engineer. Making stuff is in his blood. You know: I used to make fun of the guys for being preppers -´

´Preppers?´

´Yeah. They figured that solar flames would cause chaos on earth, you know: disrupting electronic devices and all, and they made sure they were prepared for it. Of course zombies arenˈt solar flames, but many things the guys planned for come in really handy.´

´It would be great if Howard could make our engines as silent as the ones on your Vespas.´

´We wanna leave this morning but you can always ask him right? It might not take a lot of time.´

They had neared the camping site. There was a table with food on it but no one was eating: T-Dog, Andrea, Glenn, Carol and Sophia gathered around Howard and Sheldon and looked at a piece of paper.

´Whatˈs that guys?´ Penny asked.

Howard and Sheldon looked up.

´Just a plan to fortify this place,´ Sheldon said.

Penny reached out and Sheldon handed her the piece of paper.

´Does Hershel know about it?´ Penny sharply said.

Silence.

Penny folded the paper. ´This is _his_ farm. He needs to be involved.´

´Our safety is at stake!´ T-Dog said.

´So is _his_,´ Penny replied. ´I will show it to him.´

She walked toward the house. Behind her people started to argue.

OoOoOoO

Hershel Greene was standing on his porch.

´Good morning Mr Greene.´

´Good morning Penny. I hope you slept well?´

´Like a rose,´ Penny lied. ´Could I have a word with you please?´

Hershelˈs smile faded away. ´Yes, you can.´

Penny handed the famer the sketch. ´My friends made a plan to improve your defences.´

Hershel reluctantly looked at the piece of paper.

´They are very intelligent. When _they_ make a defence plan, you can count on two things: it is _necessary_ and itˈs _flawless_.´

´Whatˈs this line?´

´I think itˈs a wall.´

Hershel shook his head and was about to return the sketch when his daughters stepped outside.

´A wall?´ Maggie said.

´Pennyˈs friends made this. Itˈs a plan to improve our defences.´

Maggie and Beth studied the drawing their father handed them.

´Whatˈs this?´ Beth asked.

´Why donˈt we ask Howard to explain?´ Penny said.

Hershel strode off to the camping site.

OoOoOoO

Howard was sensitive enough to eye the Greenes only. Hershel and his daughters listened attentively to what he had to say but they refused to sit down. Someone had persuaded Sophiaˈs people to focus on their food. Sheldon turned pages in a book with pictures of brains in it.

When Howard was done talking Hershel slowly said: ´Seems like you gave it a lot of thought. I thank you for that. Your plan wonˈt be executed though. Not only does it seem too radical to me, but even if it didnˈt, itˈs just the five of us here. It would take months, if not years just to dig a trench.´

´Well, in this plan, and I hope none of you people mind, ´ Howard said looking around to include the non-Greenes, ´but we started from the principle that you would all stay here.´

Hershel was about to retort when Howard raised his hands in an apologetic way and said: ´I know I know, Sophiaˈs people prefer to go to Fort Bening.´

Hershel had not expected this reply. Penny took an educated guess at Howardˈs intention and Rick and Andrea were the first to take advantage of it. For the next minute or so they played hard to get as Howard made them picture life at a farm. Maggie came to Howardˈs aid, saying that it was better to grow your own food than to roam abandoned houses in search for leftovers.

´Right dad?´

Hershel seemed sorry to be involved, but he agreed with his daughter. When Andrea shook her head at his response, very much the city-dweller Penny pictured her to have been, it triggered Hershel to say that at times like these the best way to survive was to live in the countryside.

´I agree with Mr Greene Andrea,´ Glenn said.

´I like the defence plan,´ Maggie told her father. ´I think Howard is right.´

Hershel shook his head.

´Dad, other people might find us. It happened twice so far and in both cases they didnˈt mean us harm. What if others _do_?´

Without looking up from his book Sheldon said: ´You are right to be concerned Maggie. A couple of weeks ago _we_ were attacked too. Some mean men wanted to steal Chetak, Llamrei and Roheryn.´

´Those are the names of their Vespas,´ Sophia proudly explained.

Sheldon nodded at the girl and continued to read. Dale joined the group and Rick gestured him to stand next to him.

´I meant to ask you what the names mean Mr Howard,´ Sophia said. She briefly glanced at Miss Silence Saves Lives.

With the farmer softly talking to his eldest daughter, Howard felt he could answer Sophiaˈs question.

´The Vespas are named after famous horses from both history and fiction.´

´I like that! You always ride Roheryn, donˈt you?´

Hershel and Maggie were still talking. Rick briefly spoke to Dale.

´Yes I do. It is named after Aragornˈs horse.´

´Who is Aragorn?´

Sheldon, turning yet another page, huffed. Penny, who had been present when her men had discussed possible names, focused on the conversation between Hershel and Maggie. She only caught words.

´… my farm my say!´ Hershel said.

´…name… Glenn!´ Maggie told him a few lines later on.

´…five of us… best!´ Hershel wanted to conclude the argument. Maggie made a reply however and Hershel stepped back as if sheˈd hit him. Beth, who stood near them, looked at her sister wide eyed. She tried to grab her hand, but Maggie walked toward Glenn.

Howard stopped talking about Rana Pratap, the man who had owned a four legged Chetak. Sophia told him that if _she_ would ever have a vehicle, she would give it a name too and in one breath she addressed the farmer.

´Mr Hershel Greene, I like it here. I would like to stay. I can work. I know how to grow strawberries and I can knit and I can help make the wall. We can all do that. And my mum can cook and sew. Mr Daryl is a brave huntsman. Mr Dale knows all about motors and Mr T-Dog -´

Sophia was startled into silence when Sheldon closed his book with a bang. Carol put her arm around her daughter.

´Done,´ Sheldon said. Glancing at his watch he added: ´And well before we are due to leave.´

Looking at Hershel Sheldon asked: ´Would you like to question me about the book?´

The farmer stared at Maggie.

´I take it you were impressed by our plan?´

Hershel now looked at Sheldon, but not too kindly.

´If I were you,´ Sheldon said, ´I wouldnˈt waste a moment to get to work. Thereˈs a lot to be done. It may seem overwhelming though, and if you want me to do so I will note down the best order to execute things. With so many hands at hand you will soon see progress.´

´It is _my_ decision who can live here,´ Hershel said.

´I agree. But youˈd be a fool if you would send them away. Just as _they_ would be foolish to opt for Fort Bening. By now it will be swarmed with zombies. Theyˈd have to kill all of them to get in and who knows what they will face once theyˈre inside?´

´I wanted to object to your choice of words yesterday,´ Hershel said, ´but we were having dinner so _I_ decided to remain polite.´

´Which words are you objecting to?´

´Which one to you think I find repulsive?´ Hershel spoke through clenched teeth.

´Only one then? Is it "fool"?´

´I think Hershel objects to "zombies" Sheldon,´ Andrea said in a-how-dumb-must-you-be-not-to-get-it-tone of voice.

The farmer nodded. ´Yes I do. How can you call them by such a degrading name?´

Sophia looked down at her plate.

´Well I suppose I could call them stumbling corpses with an appetite for animal flesh, not excluding human flesh, but that is such a mouthful, isnˈt it?´

Hershel looked away from Maggie and Glenn who had a whispered yet heated discussion.

´Calling them zombies is like using the N word!´ Hershel cried out.

´I must object to that. A zombie will never feel insulted for it doesnˈt understand language. Most zombies have undamaged throats which leads to the conclusion that they still have vocal cords. Nonetheless they only moan for their brain died and only the primal part was switched back on. FYI: speech is controlled by _advanced_ parts of the brain.´

Tricia arrived at the camping site and started handing people an egg each.

´Apart from that: there is no difference between black people and white people but for the colour of their skin which is a mere trifle. Well except when you end up in a desert I suppose, but then: a black skin may offer some protection against the burning sun, but it wonˈt stop you from dying of thirst. Oh an egg! Thank you so much! It is very smart of you to keep chicken. They provide eggs, flesh, manure and feathers and their in-out ratio is very economical. You will have noticed that the poultry-house is situated within the wall you must build. Now the zom- stumbling corpses with an appetite for animal flesh, not excluding human flesh…´

Sheldon looked at Penny. She sighed inwardly and smiled at him. He smugly continued.

´…on the other hand are _dead_. We are alive. Infected yes, but alive. The difference between dead and alive is _not_ a trifle.´

´They are _sick _and you speak of _killing_ them. That is wrong. Dead people donˈt walk. Dead people donˈt eat.´

Oh my! Penny thought. She figured that there must be zombies making their way to the farm from time to time. When Hershel didnˈt kill them, who did? Penny opted for Maggie who, for all her fine features, looked fierce.

Not surprisingly, Sheldon was the only one to respond to Hershelˈs remark.

´_Living _people talk. _Living_ people donˈt feed on people. _Living_ people might name the sixth noble gas. Anyone? Not you Howard.´

Hershel turned red but Sheldon didnˈt notice: he looked at Glenn and raised his eyebrows. The young manˈs expression showed incomprehension which made Sheldon smile.

´They are merely sick!´ Hershel cried out.

Sheldon eyed his host and shook his head. ´Itˈs like talking to a wall,´ he told Howard.

´Eat your egg while itˈs still warm Sheldon,´ Howard said.

Penny rose and walked toward Hershel. She pulled back a chair for him. ´You are upset. Please have a seat sir.´

She smiled at the man in an _I understand what you are going through _way.

´Oh goodie!´ Sheldon exclaimed as he carefully peeled his egg.

Hershel looked at him and sank down. Penny squatted next to his chair. Lowering her voice as if she didnˈt want Sheldon to hear, she said: ´I could ask my friend to apologize again, but honestly: he wouldnˈt understand why. _I am_ sorry he upset you.´

´Well, the Lord has many children,´ Hershel replied after a moment.

´Do you think the creatures you donˈt want to be called zombies are his children?´ Sheldon asked.

Penny rose.

´They are _sick_,´ Hershel insisted. ´We are all children of God! Every day I pray that this disease that is plaguing us will be taken from us.´

´That is what my mother will be doing too,´ Sheldon said. ´All I can hope for is that Jesus will tell her to stop praying and start smashing zombie brains. They are not sick. They are dead and they want to eat us alive.´

´Some of them are nearly decomposed,´ Carol said before Hershel could reply to Sheldonˈs remark. ´I guess _they_ are beyond help. But maybe in the future a medicine will be made to cure those who are freshly bitten.´

Hershel nodded his thanks for her support.

´That would be great!´ Andrea played along.

´Yes it _would_ be! Having a time travelling machine would be _great_ also. Or having a wand to go to Middle-earth.´

Rick cleared his throat. ´I think youˈve made your point Sheldon. Hershel regards the walkers -´

The policeman looked at Hershel as if to request his permission for choosing the word, ignoring the fact that it had been used before. Penny felt that Sophiaˈs people were getting the hang of it. Hershel couldnˈt fail to think favourably about _them_ when comparing them to the king of wack-a-doodles.

Hershel nodded his consent.

´- from a Christian point of view and that is commendable.´

Oh yeah. He is desperate to stay, Penny thought.

´Will you also treat _these_ people in a Christian way dad?´ Maggie asked.

´I helped them. I fed them. I allowed them to stay here.´

Rick nodded.

´Until Carl is recovered,´ Maggie reminded her father. ´And then what?´

Not letting go of Glennˈs hand Maggie gestured toward Sophia. ´Sheˈs an innocent girl. Are you really going to send her away? Is that what being a Christian is all about?´

´It would be good to have more people around dad,´ Beth pleaded in a small voice.

´Penny,´ Hershel said staring at his eldest daughter.

´Yes sir?´

´What would your father do when people showed up at his farm?´

´What would they want?´

´To live with him.´

´Heˈd study them I guess. If he had room for them and _if_ they were good people, heˈd allow them to stay.´

Penny wanted to remind Hershel of something and she added: ´Provided they live by his rules though. I suppose he wouldnˈt want them to wear weapons near the farm any more than you do.´

Penny had a screw driver in each of her boots and a knife up her sleeve and Howard was not unarmed either, but they kept that to themselves.

Hershel didnˈt respond. He stared at his eldest daughter.

´These are _good people_ dad! They outnumber us and they have weapons yet they _didnˈt_ kick us out! They had no way of knowing Sophia was alive yet they kept looking for her. Please! We can make this work!´

´Rick,´ Hershel said after a moment, ´walk with me.´


End file.
